Time Out
by JustMeReally
Summary: ONESHOT: Darcy is fed up of Heath and Bianca always arguing, so she does a runner. Fluffy Dad/Daughter scene inside


"Why do you have to turn everything I say into an argument?"  
"I don't know, maybe because you say the stupidest of things!"  
"Well I'm sorry we all didn't graduate with A*'s in school!"  
"You're pathetic!"  
"Oh dumb and pathetic? Keep going Bianca you're on a roll!"

Darcy closed her eyes as she listened to her Dad and Bianca argue. All they ever seemed to do nowadays was fight, and the young girl was struggling to picture the happy family she once believed in.

Sighing, she scrabbled in her Dad's wallet and took a couple of notes. Wrapping her jumper round her waist, she shot one look back to the sound of yelling, before walking out the house.

...

Heath smirked, arm hooked round Bianca as the pair lay side by side in bed.  
"That was one powerful special cuddle Mrs Braxton" he teased  
"Yeah well it needed to be after that fight" she retorted, sticking out her tongue "Probably traumatised you daughter"

Heath sat up, scratching his head "Good point, I'll be right back"  
He clambered out of bed and pulled on some trunks before wandering through to the living room.

"Darce?" he called, sticking his head round her bedroom door "Darcy?"  
"What's wrong?" Bianca questioned, coming up behind him as she did up her top  
Heath turned, frowning "She's not here"  
"Well don't worry, she probably went next door when she heard the shouting"

Bianca took her husband's hand and pulled him across the hall into the other apartment.

"We don't have any food" Casey stated from his spot on the sofa where he was furiously tapping away at the games controller.

"Not this time" Heath told him "Where's Darce?"  
"How should I know? She's your daughter" Casey laughed, eyes still fixed on the TV  
"You mean she's not here?" Bianca checked, leaning over the back of the couch.  
"No...you seriously don't know where she is?"

Heath let go of his wife's hand, interlocking his fingers atop his head.  
"This is bad" he groaned, beginning to pace  
"Well don't worry, she might have gone to Angelo's, Brax and Kyle are working" Casey said, quickly turning off the TV, grabbing his keys and ushering them out the door.

...

"Darcy!" Heath yelled, storming into the restaurant

Several diners looked up frowning, and Brax hurried round the bar and over to his brother.  
"Keep it down will ya!" he hissed, whacking his arm "What you yelling for?"  
"Darcy's missing" Bianca sighed, rubbing her husband's arm  
Brax frowned "Missing?" he repeated as Kyle joined him  
"We had an argument earlier, think she heard us and did a runner"

Brax ran a hand over his face "Have you tried her mobile?"  
"No answer" Heath said grimly "I don't know what to do"  
"Just calm down alright, we'll find her, she can't have gone far"

Heath turned on his heel and walked out, closely followed by Bianca.

"Mate hold the fort yeah?" Brax called to a nearby waiter who nodded quickly.  
He patted Casey and Kyle on the back and the three took off after their brother.

...

After a solid hour of searching, Ricky too had joined the family  
"No sign at the diner" she sighed, coming to a halt beside Brax  
"Or the surf club" Kyle informed them, bending double and resting his hands on his knees  
"Not at the gym" Casey called, jogging over  
Heath yelled out and kicked a rock off the cliff  
"No luck at the beach either" Bianca told them quietly, dialling Darcy's phone again.

Heath watched her desperately, closing his eyes as she shook her head indicating another no answer.

"Where the hell is she?" he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose  
"We'll just have to widen the search, keep ringing her, and if it comes down to it, get Alf involved" Brax told him matter of factly.

"So what if we split up again, check places further towards Mangrove River" Ricky suggested  
"Yeah maybe she went to Connie's old place" Casey said fairly, arms folded  
"Okay we'll go to all those" Brax agreed "And meet at a halfway point"  
"What then?" Heath asked dully

A moment of quiet passed between them until Brax replied  
"If we still haven't found her...we ring Alf and get his team out looking too"  
Kyle patted Heath on the back "We'll find her" he assured him

"So what's the halfway point?" Bianca questioned, switching her phone to the other hand  
"Probably the cemetery" Ricky said simply "Halfway between the bay and Mangrove River"  
Brax nodded in agreement "Okay, we'll meet there in a couple of hours, just before it gets dark"

Heath stepped back, holding out his hand for Bianca to take  
"C'mon" she whispered, leading him away while the others watched.

...

"Pick up Darcy pick up" Casey stressed as he and Kyle jogged across the third park they'd come to  
"Still no answer?"  
Casey shook his head and stopped, kicking a nearby bench  
"Maybe the others are having more luck" Kyle pointed out, looking left and right for their niece.  
"I hope so"

...

"No sign of her" Ricky sighed, jogging over to Brax  
He looked up at the school before them, squinting slightly "Don't blame her, this place is a dump"  
"Yeah well, old school, old memories, she could've been here" Ricky defended, beginning to walk back to the car.

"So where now?" Brax questioned, taking off after her  
Ricky checked her watch "We head to the cemetery, it's almost been 2 hours"  
He turned back to the school with one last desperate glance, before clambering into the drivers seat.

...

"It's so empty" Heath commented dully, pushing back from the window  
"I guess no-one's bought it yet" Bianca said gently as they looked up at Connie's old house  
"Shame she isn't here, she'd probably know where Darce is...Apparently I don't know her at all"  
"Don't say that! You're her Dad!"  
"A decent Dad would know where their daughter would go when she's upset!"

Bianca sighed, opening the car door "Come on, it's time to meet the others"

...

"Please tell me one of ya found something!" Heath demanded, rushing over to where the family was waiting  
"We were hoping you'd have found something" Ricky told him quietly, bowing her head  
Brax gripped his brothers shoulder "She'll be fine mate, we'll ring Alf now, get him straight out looking for her"

"Wait" Bianca interrupted firmly, craning her neck to look past them "There's no need"

They all followed her gaze to see Darcy sat cross legged in front of a tiny grave  
"Rocco" Heath murmured with a sigh of relief "She came to see Rocco"  
Brax smiled as Casey patted their brother on the back "We'll wait here for you" he said.

Heath nodded, squeezing Bianca's hand before slowly making his way over to his daughter.

...

"Hey gromit" he greeted softly, taking a seat on the ground beside her  
"You're mad aren't you?" Darcy asked quietly, eyes averted to the floor  
Heath wrapped an arm round her shoulders "We'll talk about it later"  
"Why bother, it's just gonna turn into another argument" she said dismally

"Did you buy him the bear?" Heath asked gently, changing the subject  
Darcy nodded "With the change in your wallet...I'm sorry"  
"Hey it's a nice thought, don't be sorry, I bet he loves it"

A moment of silence passed between them until Heath asked his next question  
"Why'd you run away Darce?"  
"You and Bianca were arguing again, all you do now is argue"  
He sighed "I know, I'm sorry...but why come here?"  
"To see Rocco" the girl told him as if it were obvious

Heath nodded "You ever come here with your gran?"  
Darcy shook her head "No, she wouldn't let me"  
Heath closed his eyes 'sounds like Connie' he thought to himself  
"I came here because you and Bianca were happy when Rocco was alive, now he's gone and you're just stuck with me, and it's making you fight all the time"

Heath was shocked, he never realised his daughter felt like that  
"We never argue about you Darce, we love you" he assured her, planting a kiss atop her head  
"Then why do you argue?"  
Heath sighed "Because it's what couples do I guess"  
"In that case, I'm never getting a boyfriend" Darcy stated  
"Good girl, hold on to that" Heath praised "Actually, can I get it in writing?"

Darcy nudged him and he laughed, helping her to her feet.  
"Promise me one thing though gromit" he said seriously, crouching in front of her "If you ever worry about me and Bianca fighting again, you'll come to us, or one of your uncles...don't run off like this, because I can't lose you missy" he flicked her nose and she giggled, wrapping her arms round his neck  
"I promise Dad" she whispered  
"That's my girl"

...

They said goodbye to Rocco, and walked hand in hand back to where the others were waiting.  
"Hey Darce" Bianca smiled, holding out her arms for the girl to hug her  
"I'm sorry for running off" she apologised to everyone "And for scaring you all"

Brax ruffled her hair "We're just glad you're okay kid" he told her "Now who fancies dinner at the restaurant?"

A collected 'yes' came from the group as they made their way to the cars.  
Kyle lifted Darcy onto Casey's back, and the three of them took off down the path laughing.  
"Big kids 'ey" Ricky observed, linking her arm through Brax' who kissed her temple  
"We're practically running a nursery" he agreed, clapping Heath on the back as they separated into the different vehicles.

"Meet you there" Bianca called, turning to make sure Darcy had her belt on

...

As they pulled up outside Angelo's, Heath laughed as he looked in the mirror to see his daughter supposedly asleep.

The others gathered round the car as he and Bianca quietly got out.

"She's definately not asleep" Casey said shaking his head "Hey Kyle?"  
"Yeah?"  
"You know I hear you have a really good chocolate fudge cake in this week"  
"That's right we do Case"

Darcy suddenly sat bolt upright and jumped from the car  
"Can I get cake too Dad? Please?"  
Heath raised an eyebrow, lifting her onto his shoulder and following Brax as he led the way inside.

"She so takes after you" Bianca murmured once he'd put her down so she could rush over to find a table with Ricky  
"She's my baby" Heath nodded, snaking his arm round his wife's waist "Now come on the kid's right, fudge cake does sound good"

**Fluffy fluffy fluff fluff, but hey I wanted to write something that was Darcy orientated...feel free to review or something :)**


End file.
